BY WILLIAM M. WHERRY, SIXTH IJ. S. INFANTRY, BREVET BRIGADIER-GENERAL, IT. S. V.,AT WILSON’S CREEK AIDE-DE-CAMP TO GENERAL LYON.
A BOUT the middle of July, 1861, the Army of the Union in- south-west Missouri, under General Nathaniel Lyon , wasencamped in and near the town of Springfield , and num-bered approximately 6200 men, of whom about 500 wereill-armed and undisciplined “ Home Guards.” The organ-ized troops were in all 5868, in four brigades. By the9th of August these were reduced to an aggregate ofabout 5300 men, with the 500 Home Guards additional.Of these troops, the 1st Iowa regiment was entitled todischarge on the 14th of August, and the 3d and 5thMissouri , Sigel’s and Salomon’s, at different periods, bycompanies, from the 9th to the 18th of August. Allexcept the regulars had been enrolled since the attack onSumter in April, and but little time had been possible fordrill and instruction. They had been moved and marchedfrom St. Louis and points in Kansas , taking part in sev-eral spirited but minor engagements, and were ill-provided with clothing andfood, but their spirits were undaunted, and they were devoted to their leader.
The latter part of July was spent by Lyon in drilling his troops andprocuring supplies, the mills in the neighborhood having been seized andemployed in grinding flour for the troops. He continued to send urgentappeals to St. Louis for reenforcements.
On the 1st of August, however, having received information of an advanceby the enemy, in superior numbers, Lyon moved down the Fayetteville road(also known as the Cassville road) to meet and attack the largest and mostadvanced force, hoping to drive it back and then strike the others in detail.A lively skirmish with Price’s advance-guard, under Rains , took place atDug Springs on the 2d of August; and on the 3d a more insignificant affairoccurred with the rear-guard of Rains’s forces at McCullah’s farm, which hadbeen his headquarters, but from which he retired without resistance. HereLyon became convinced he was being drawn farther and farther from hisbase, without supplies, and he determined to fall back to Springfield , whichplace he reached on the 5th. During those blistering August days the menmarched with bleeding feet and parched lips, Lyon himself urging forwardthe weary and footsore stragglers.
On the 8th a march in force was planned for the following night, to makean attack on the enemy’s front at Wilson’s Creek at daylight. From thisintention General Lyon was dissuaded, after having called together theprincipal officers to receive their instructions. Many of the troops wereexhausted, and all were tired; moreover, some supplies having arrived from
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